Minnesota Timberwolves: Player grades from win over Golden State Warriors
By Ben Beecken
The Minnesota Timberwolves won again, this time holding off Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors for their fourth consecutive victory.
Final. 114. 41. 126. 86
Believe it. It’s true. The Minnesota Timberwolves have won four consecutive games for the first time since late Nov. 23 to 28, 2018.
The Wolves led for much of the game and held on to defeat the Golden State Warriors at Target Center on Thursday night behind strong games from Ricky Rubio, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Anthony Edwards.
The game got off to a slow start with Golden State holding a 14-7 lead with just under six-and-a-half minutes left in the opening frame. But D’Angelo Russell came in off the bench and helped spark the offense.
Towns, Russell, and Juancho Hernangomez keyed the Wolves offense over the latter half of the frame, and the Wolves built a 35-25 lead by the end of the first quarter. But the Warriors pushed back in the second, pulling to within two points at halftime.
The trend continued into the third quarter as the Wolves’ offense sputtered and Steph Curry got hot. Despite Josh Okogie’s best efforts — truthfully, Okogie did a good job on Curry for much of the game — Curry suddenly went off and the Warriors took a two-point lead into the fourth and final frame.
Andrew Wiggins had a solid start to the game before going scoreless in the third quarter, but he suddenly appeared engaged once again in the fourth quarter.
However, it was also Anthony Edwards’ turn to get hot. The Wolves rookie scored 16 of his 25 points in the final quarter, including 10 straight for his squad to start the period. He scored from everywhere, starting by attacking the rim and making the Warriors pay by knocking down some tough 3-pointers as well.
The Wolves built a two-possession lead with Towns resting on the bench. When he reentered the game with just over six minutes to play after Naz Reid appeared to tweak an ankle, he went on a quick 6-2 run of his own and Minnesota built a double-digit lead with just over four minutes to play.
Golden State didn’t pull any closer than six points over the rest of the game, and that was that.
Minnesota Timberwolves Player Grades vs. Golden State Warriors
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS. B+. This was another game in which Karl-Anthony Towns’ line wasn’t all that gaudy and he wasn’t extremely efficient, but Towns’ impact on the game was undeniable. KAT finished with 22 points on just 6-of-18 shooting from the floor but was 3-of-7 on 3-point attempts and 7-of-10 from the line. He added 11 rebounds and seven assists and did his job defensively in the paint as well.. Center. Minnesota Timberwolves
A-. Anthony Edwards was extremely quiet for the first three quarters, only scoring nine points. But he came to life in the fourth, dropping 16 of his 25 in the final frame. The rookie scored both inside and out and was ultra-aggressive and efficient at the same, shooting 10-of-19 and making three of his six 3-point attempts. Edwards added five rebounds, three assists, and a block.. Wing. Minnesota Timberwolves. ANTHONY EDWARDS
Forward. Minnesota Timberwolves. JADEN MCDANIELS. A-. This has become a typical Jaden McDaniels performance: eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and a steal in 32 minutes. He guarded Steph Curry for portions of the game and was active and confident as a cutter on offense. While the offensive upside remains massive, McDaniels has quickly become a valuable role player as a rookie.
Ricky Rubio had one of his best games in a while, dropping a team-high 26 points (7-13 FG, 5-8 3P, 7-7 FT) and pitching in six assists and six rebounds. He got hot from deep in the middle stages of the game and knocked down a series of free throws down the stretch to help put the game on ice. Rubio was also typically solid on defense and was one of the better players on the floor in this game.. Point Guard. Minnesota Timberwolves. RICKY RUBIO. A
JOSH OKOGIE. B. Josh Okogie only played 19 minutes but did a great job when matched up on Curry. He finished with six points and six rebounds and was active on both ends of the floor. If this is Okogie’s role moving forward — part-time stopper and havoc-wreaker — then it suits his playing style and skill-set.. Wing. Minnesota Timberwolves
D’Angelo Russell had a strong first quarter but leveled off quickly and was surprisingly quiet against his former team. Still, he helped make the Wolves’ offense hum along to the tune of 126 points and was generally solid with eight assists and decent defense despite a 3-for-11 shooting night.. Guard. Minnesota Timberwolves. D'ANGELO RUSSELL. B-
NAZ REID. A. Suddenly, it’s the norm for Naz Reid to turn in a fantastic performance off the bench. Reid scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and grabbed five rebounds in 15 minutes. He appeared to tweak his ankle at the end of his final stint and hopefully won’t have any lingering effects ahead of the Wolves’ next game.. Big. Minnesota Timberwolves
A-. Juancho Hernangomez was good once again, scoring nine points and pulling down seven boards. He shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and added a steal en route to a +8 plus-minus in 23 minutes. Again, this is the Juancho the Wolves thought they were giving a multi-year extension to last offseason.. Forward. Minnesota Timberwolves. JUANCHO HERNANGOMEZ
Other Notable Minnesota Timberwolves Players
Jarred Vanderbilt had solid energy minutes off the bench, putting up a +11 in 16 minutes. He only had two points but pulled down six rebounds dished out two assists and genuinely made life difficult on the Warriors on the glass.
Jordan McLaughlin had eight points and four rebounds in only 12 minutes but also committed three sloppy turnovers.
Next. Looking back at the Wiggins-Russell trade. dark
Next up for the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves stay at home and will play host to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening.